Technology Tips

Instead of opening a new window for every webpage, browsers now allow for pages to open in tabs. If a browser window is already open, and you would like to create a new tab without clicking on a link there are two easy ways to accomplish this.

1. Go to File > Open New Tab

2. Use the key command Ctrl + T (Cmd + T on Mac)

Both ways will open a new browsing tab.

*NOTE: The images shown above are for Firefox, but the steps are the same for most browsers.

Do you find yourself typing the same phrase over and over? Save time with AutoCorrect! Instead of typing the whole phrase, you’ll just need to type a few letters, and the whole phrase will appear. Here’s how to use this feature:

Click the File tab and select Options.

Select the Proofing tab, and click AutoCorrect Options.

Click the AutoCorrect Tab. Under Replace text as you type, fill in the Replace and With fields to fit your needs. For example, when I type WPL, it will be replaced with Waukegan Public Library. Click Add for each entry and OK when you’re finished.

Keyboard shortcuts are combinations of two or more keys that, when pressed, can be used to perform a task that would typically require a mouse. Keyboard shortcuts can make it easier to interact with your computer, saving you time and effort.

The following table contains general keyboard shortcuts for Windows.

Press This Key

To Do This

F1

Display Help

Ctrl+C (or Ctrl+Insert)

Copy the selected item

Ctrl+X

Cut the selected item

Ctrl+V (or Shift+Insert)

Paste the selected item

Ctrl+Z

Undo an action

Ctrl+Y

Redo an action

Delete (or Ctrl+D)

Delete the selected item and move it to the Recycle Bin

Shift+Delete

Delete the selected item without moving it to the Recycle Bin first

F2

Rename the selected item

Ctrl+Right Arrow

Move the cursor to the beginning of the next word

Ctrl+Left Arrow

Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous word

Ctrl+Down Arrow

Move the cursor to the beginning of the next paragraph

Ctrl+Up Arrow

Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous paragraph

Ctrl+Shift with an arrow key

Select a block of text

Shift with any arrow key

Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text within a document

Ctrl with any arrow key+Spacebar

Select multiple individual items in a window or on the desktop

Ctrl+A

Select all items in a document or window

F3

Search for a file or folder

Alt+Enter

Display properties for the selected item

Alt+F4

Close the active item, or exit the active program

Alt+Spacebar

Open the shortcut menu for the active window

Ctrl+F4

Close the active document (in programs that allow you to have multiple documents open simultaneously)

Alt+Tab

Switch between open items

Ctrl+Alt+Tab

Use the arrow keys to switch between open items

Ctrl+Mouse scroll wheel

Change the size of icons on the desktop

Windows logo key +Tab

Cycle through programs on the taskbar by using Aero Flip 3-D

Ctrl+Windows logo key +Tab

Use the arrow keys to cycle through programs on the taskbar by using Aero Flip 3-D

Alt+Esc

Cycle through items in the order in which they were opened

F6

Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop

F4

Display the address bar list in Windows Explorer

Shift+F10

Display the shortcut menu for the selected item

Ctrl+Esc

Open the Start menu

Alt+underlined letter

Display the corresponding menu

F10

Activate the menu bar in the active program

Right Arrow

Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu

Left Arrow

Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu

F5 (or Ctrl+R)

Refresh the active window

Alt+Up Arrow

View the folder one level up in Windows Explorer

Esc

Cancel the current task

Ctrl+Shift+Esc

Open Task Manager

Shift when you insert a CD

Prevent the CD from automatically playing

Left Alt+Shift

Switch the input language when multiple input languages are enabled

Ctrl+Shift

Switch the keyboard layout when multiple keyboard layouts are enabled

Right or Left Ctrl+Shift

Change the reading direction of text in right-to-left reading languages

Imagine your computer crashes. Or it’s stolen or lost. What would you lose if your information couldn’t be recovered?

Avoid this crisis by backing up your hard drive! This can be done using an external hard drive or an online backup service. In this tip, I’m going to focus on using an external hard drive.

First, purchase an external hard drive. Western Digital, Lenovo, and Seagate make good, popular external hard drives, but do a little research to figure out what kind would work best for you. Remember to keep your external hard drive in a safe place, and not near your computer, to keep it secure from the same risks as your computer could face.

Decide whether to back up your files manually or automatically. Manually works best if you are only backing up a few files. Automatically backing up your files will protect many files or your entire hard drive.

Backing Up Files Manually

To back up a few particular files, you can copy them directly to your external hard drive. To do this, connect your external hard drive to your computer and drag the files to the external drive. You will then have a copy on both the computer and the external drive.

Backing Up Files Automatically

If you’d like to back up a lot of files or your entire hard drive, your computer probably can make this simpler for you by doing it automatically. Just connect your external hard drive and use one of the options below.

Using Windows: Windows Backup (or File History in Windows 8) creates automatic copies of certain files or saves a system image, which creates a backup of your entire hard drive. Learn more at Windows Backup and Restore.

The delete key is very handy on the PC for deleting text from the right side of the text cursor. However, many Mac keyboard do not have them. In order to utilize this function on a Mac you must use the keyboard shortcut ctrl + backspace. This will allow you to do the same thing that the delete key would do.

There are tons of keyboard shortcuts that save time. Here are a few to use while navigating web pages:

To scroll down one screen at a time, press the space bar. To scroll up one screen, press Shift + space bar.

To return to the last page you viewed, press the Backspace key or Alt + left arrow.

When you’re typing a URL (web address) in the address bar, press Ctrl + Enter, and the “www” and .com will be added automatically. And the website will open right away, without pressing Enter again! For example, type “google” in the address bar, press Ctrl + Enter, and www.google.com will open.

Cookies are delicious delights! But web cookies can sometimes become a little less delightful. These are little files that are hidden in your computer so that the browser and various websites that you access can track and save useful information that you input, such as account name, passwords etc. Although cookies are harmless, they can invade your privacy if an intruder tries accessing them.

The following directions demonstrate how to delete these cookies to protect your personal information.

Delete Cookies in Firefox

In the latest version of the Firefox browser, select theFirefox menu. From there, select Options and then Options again.

Click the Privacy tab to bring up your user-privacy options.

Next, under the History section, click the Remove Individual Cookies link.

At the bottom of the Cookies window that appears, click the Remove All Cookies button to delete all cookies in Firefox.

Delete Cookies in Internet Explorer

Using the latest version of Internet Explorer. Select the Tools menu from the Internet Explorer window, and click Delete Browsing History.

In the Delete Browsing History window, check the box next to Cookies. You can uncheck everything else if you want to remove only cookies.

Click Delete to remove all cookies stored in Internet Explorer.

Congratulations, you’ve successfully cleaned out your browser’s cookies. Although cookie files pose a potential threat to privacy, don’t forget that they can also improve your Web browsing by making it faster and more convenient when using your personal computer.

Instead of dragging the cursor, try a more simple and accurate way. Click at the beginning of your selection, hold down the shift key, and then click again at the end of your selection. Everything in between will be highlighted.

Cloud networking allows information to be stored in data centers and accessed wirelessly, often through a browser. iCloud, hosted by Apple, stores music, photos, apps, calendars, documents, and more from Apple devices such as iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, and iPods.

In order to access iCloud simply go to www.icloud.com and log in with your Apple ID (same as iTunes).

Once you have logged in there are number of things you can do, including updating your calendar, contacts, notes, and reminders. If you have misplaced, lost, or had one of your devices stolen you can go to “Find My iPhone”, which will show you where all your devices that are powered on are on a map. If a device is powered off, but registered to your Apple ID it will be listed as “Offline”.

If a single device is selected you can have it play a sound, lock it, or erase it. Some options will require you to re-enter your password to verify that you wish to complete the action.

Whether you’re applying for a job or buying something online, you have to fill out an online form. Most online forms have multiple fields, or separate boxes, and each one needs to be completed. It can be slow to click with a mouse in each field. So try the faster way!

Press Tab to go from one field to the next. If you missed something and need to go back to the previous field, press Shift+Tab. It’s much faster than clicking in each field with a mouse; I use it almost every day!

For example, if you’re putting an item on hold on the library website and need to enter your name, barcode, and PIN, enter each piece of information with a Tab in between and then press Enter. No need to use the mouse at all!